Who was Alfred Jodl? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

German Celebrities Born In May

Also Known As: Alfred Josef Ferdinand Jodl

Died At Age: 56

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Irma Gräfin von Bullion, Luise von Benda

father: Alfred Jodl

mother: Therese Baumgärtler

siblings: Ferdinand Jodl

Born Country: Germany

War Criminals Military Leaders

Died on: October 16, 1946

place of death: Nuremberg, Germany

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1

What role did Alfred Jodl play in World War II?

Alfred Jodl was a German military commander and Chief of the Operations Staff of the Armed Forces High Command during World War II.
2

Was Alfred Jodl involved in the planning of military operations during World War II?

Yes, Alfred Jodl was heavily involved in the planning of military operations for the German armed forces during World War II.
3

What was Alfred Jodl's role in the German surrender at the end of World War II?

Alfred Jodl signed the unconditional surrender of the German armed forces on May 7, 1945, which effectively ended World War II in Europe.
4

Was Alfred Jodl tried and convicted for war crimes after World War II?

Yes, Alfred Jodl was tried by the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg and convicted of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against peace.
5

What was the outcome of Alfred Jodl's trial at Nuremberg?

Alfred Jodl was sentenced to death by hanging at the Nuremberg Trials for his role in planning and executing war crimes during World War II.

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Childhood & Early Life

He was born on May 10, 1890 in Wurzburg, Germany to Alfred Jodl, an Officer, and Therese Baumgartler before their marriage. His parents married after 9 years of his birth, in 1899.

He had a younger brother, Ferdinand Jodl, also born out of wedlock, in 1896. His uncle, Friedrich Jodl, was a philosopher and psychologist at the University of Vienna.

He received his education from the Cadet School in Munich and graduated in 1910. After school graduation, he joined the field military regiment in the German army as an artillery officer.

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Career

He served as a battery officer during the World War I from 1914–1916 on the Western Front. He suffered a severe thigh wound and also fought on the Eastern Front, in 1917, for a short time. Later, he returned to Western Front as a staff officer.

Germany faced defeat and the ‘Treaty of Versailles’ was imposed upon it. The treaty dictated that German’s armed forces would be limited to 100,000 men and prohibited their use of any heavy artillery, tanks, submarines and air missiles. He remained in the services of the military and joined a newly formed military organization, Reichswehr.

He served in the newly created Weimar Republic in Germany’s Ministry of War and the intelligence service during the 1920s and was appointed as the major in the operations branch of the Truppenamt in the Army High Command during the last days of Weimar Republic. He was advanced to the rank of colonel and to the post of the head of the National Defense Section in the High Command of the Armed Forces in 1936.

Meanwhile, Germany’s degrading economy gave rise to a new fascist political movement, National Socialism, led by another World War I veteran, Adolf Hitler. Hitler became the German chancellor and took some extreme measures that restricted the civil rights of German Jews. He also violated the Treaty of Versailles by acquiring arms and ammunitions.

From 1938 to 1939, Jodl served as the Artillery Commander of the 44th Division and was posted in Austria and Czechoslovakia. He met Hitler in September 1939 and was appointed as the ‘Chief of Operation Staff’ of the newly formed OKW, a part of the command structure of the armed forces of Nazi Germany.

In 1939, Germany launched an attack on Poland which eventually led to World War II. German troops also launched air attacks on Britain and successfully invaded France, Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Yugoslavia, and Greece. He became the communicating medium between the armed forces and the Nazi Cabinet under Hitler’s supervision.

Subsequently, Germany attacked Russia but was unable to win the battle, as the Soviet Union was a fierce rival. Furthermore, Hitler was having problems with his top advisors who launched an assassination attempt on his life in July 1944 in which Jodl was also wounded. The war ended when the Allied forces led by America, Russia, Britain and France defeated the German forces, which also led Hitler to commit suicide.

Soon after the surrender of Germans to the Allied forces, Jodl was accused of war crimes and although he pleaded himself as innocent, he was convicted of many accusations and was sentenced to death at the Nuremberg Trials.

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German Military Leaders

Awards & Achievements

In 1934, he received a First World War Service Medal titled ‘Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918’.

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He was also the recipient of ‘Anschluss Medal’ and the ‘Sudetenland Medal’, both of them being a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded in the interwar period.

On March 25, 1942, he was honored with the ‘Order of the Cross of Liberty 1st Class with Swords’, one of the three official orders of Finland.

He was also honored with Romania’s highest military decoration, ‘Order of Michael the Brave’, both 2nd Class and 3rd Class, on December 23, 1943.

Personal Life & Legacy

In September 1913, he married Irma Gr�fin von Bullion, a lady five years his senior, from an aristocratic Swabian family. She died after contracting pneumonia in 1944, in Konigsberg.

He married Luise Von Benda, a family friend, in November 1944.

He was found guilty of war crimes and was hanged on October 16, 1946. His remains were cremated at Munich and his ashes were scattered into the Isar River.

Facts About Alfred Jodl

Alfred Jodl had a passion for classical music and was known to play the violin in his free time, showcasing his artistic side outside of his military duties.

Despite his high-ranking position in the German military, Jodl was said to have a soft spot for animals and was known to be particularly fond of his pet dog.

Jodl was fluent in multiple languages, including French and English, which allowed him to effectively communicate with international counterparts during his time as a military leader.

An avid reader and history enthusiast, Jodl was known to have a vast personal library and took great interest in studying military strategies and tactics from various time periods.

Jodl had a talent for writing poetry and was known to compose verses in his spare time, demonstrating a more introspective and creative side to his personality.

Alfred Jodl Biography

You wanted to know

What role did Alfred Jodl play in World War II?

Was Alfred Jodl involved in the planning of military operations during World War II?

What was Alfred Jodl's role in the German surrender at the end of World War II?

Was Alfred Jodl tried and convicted for war crimes after World War II?

What was the outcome of Alfred Jodl's trial at Nuremberg?